Divine Words, Female Voices

Muslima Explorations in Comparative Feminist Theology

Jerusha Tanner Lamptey

Critically engages Islamic and Christian feminism through a comparative theology

Responds to calls for new approaches in Islamic feminist theology and interpretation

Offers a deep and direct engagement with various and diverse Christian feminist, womanist, and mujerista voices

Divine Words, Female Voices

Muslima Explorations in Comparative Feminist Theology

Jerusha Tanner Lamptey

Description

The relationship between Islam and feminism is complex. There are many Muslim scholars who fervently promote women's equality. At the same time, there is ambivalence regarding the general norms, terminology, and approaches of feminism and feminist theology. This ambivalence is in large part a product of various hegemonic, androcentric, and patriarchal discourses that seek to dictate legitimate and authoritative interpretations. These discourses not only fuel ambivalence, they also effectively obscure valuable possibilities related to interreligious feminist engagement.

Divine Words, Female Voices is the follow-up to Jerusha Lamptey's 2014 book, Never Wholly Other, in which she introduced the idea of "Muslima" theology and applied it to the topic of religious diversity. In this new book, she extends her earlier arguments to contend that interreligious feminist engagement is both a theologically valid endeavor and a vital resource for Muslim women scholars. She introduces comparative feminist theology as a method for overcoming challenges associated with interreligious feminist engagement, reorients comparative discussions to focus on the two "Divine Words" (the Qur'an and Jesus) and feminist theology, and uses this reorientation to examine intersections, discontinuities, and insights related to diverse theological topics. This book is distinctive in its responsiveness to calls for new approaches in Islamic feminist theology, its use of the method of comparative theology, its focus on Muslim and Christian feminist theology in comparative analysis, and its constructive articulation of Muslima theological perspectives.

Divine Words, Female Voices

Muslima Explorations in Comparative Feminist Theology

Jerusha Tanner Lamptey

Author Information

Jerusha Tanner Lamptey is Assistant Professor of Islam and Interreligious Engagement and the Director of the Islam, Social Justice, and Interreligious Engagement Program (ISJIE) at Union Theological Seminary in New York. She is the author of Never Wholly Other: A Muslima Theology of Religious Pluralism (Oxford University Press, 2014).

Divine Words, Female Voices

Muslima Explorations in Comparative Feminist Theology

Jerusha Tanner Lamptey

Reviews and Awards

"With impeccable scholarship and a deep knowledge of their concerns, Jerusha Lamptey invites us to listen in on a creative conversation between Muslim and Christian feminists who approach vexing theological issues and offer to us strategic and theological fruits. This stunning range of feminist interlocutors provides a powerful statement of thepossibilities for our theological future." - Jeannine Hill Fletcher, author Motherhood as Metaphor: Engendering Interreligious Dialogue

"This book encourages Muslima theologians to enter with humility and opennessinto the valuable terrain of feminist scholarship from different faith traditions. It demonstrates the value of comparative engagement as not only theologically meaningful, but also as a beautiful act of faith and deeper learning. For while risky and destabilizing, comparative engagement allows for new ways of self-understanding and creates bonds of solidarity across faith-based feminist scholarship." - amina wadud, Professor Emerita of Islamic Studies and Visiting Scholar, Starr King School for the Ministry